Load-bearing structures of a motor vehicle may be used in particular in the so-called “space frame” type of construction of bodies for motor vehicles.
A load-bearing structure composed of light metal cast junctions and/or plastic junctions, and of light metal extruded profiles and/or plastic profiles connecting said junctions, is known, for example, from European Patent Publication No. EP 0900716 A1.
European Patent Publication No. EP 0146716 A2 discloses a car body, in particular for passenger motor vehicles, which as a load-bearing structure comprises pipe parts that may be joined together by way of junction elements, wherein the pipe parts may be extruded profiles produced from light metal, the junction elements may be likewise composed of light metal, and the ends of the extruded profiles may be, owing to their cross-sectional shape, held in positively locking fashion in corresponding receptacles in the junction elements.